Indian Journal of Educational Technology
Volume 6, Issue 1, January 2024

377

Book Review

Technology Assessment in a Globalized World: Facing the 
Challenges of Transnational Technology Governance

(Editors: Leonhard Hennen, Julia Hahn, Miltos Ladikas, Ralf Lindner, Walter Peissl and 
Rinie van Est)

Publisher: Springer

ISBN 978-3-031-10616-3 ISBN 978-3-031-10617-0 (eBook)

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10617-0

Monica Nagpal

Visiting Assistant Professor- MIT-ADT University Pune

Email- nagpalmonica12@gmail.com

Technology has brought radical 
transformations to the world and has 
broken the barriers of national borders. 
This book explores the complex issues 
around the global impact of technology 
and technology governance in detail. 
Edited by a team of experts, this book is a 
valuable resource for understanding the 
critical role of technology assessment 
(TA) in addressing global challenges.

The book, at the beginning, 
acknowledges the fast-paced 
technological advancement and its 
far-reaching implications for society, 
the environment, and international 
relations. It argues that technology is no 
longer confined to individual countries 
but has become a global phenomenon, 
mandating a parallel shift in governance 
mechanisms, bringing out the need for 
a transnational approach to technology 
governance that transcends national 
boundaries 

The structure of book is properly 
organized into three parts or volumes 
covering TA in a globalised world, 
Challenges of global TA and Global 
challenges and TA, with chapters in each 
part dedicated to a specific aspect of 
transnational technology governance. 
The contributors have dealt with 
diverse topics, including the relevance 
of TA in international governance, 
technological challenges, fundamental, 

ethical & societal considerations, 
TA for developing countries, 
regulatory frameworks, health issues, 
environmental implications, and the 
role of international organisations. This 
comprehensive coverage allows readers 
to gain an overall understanding of 
the challenges posed by globalised 
technology and the different strategies 
employed to address them. The 
chapters are coherently organised 
and well-structured, making it easy for 
readers to follow the arguments and 
concepts presented.

Part 1 deals with tracing TA activities 
internationally and clustering them for 
reflection according to the key identified 
areas of science, politics and public. It 
covers multilateral cooperation in TA 
to enhance the outcome and impact 
of strategies targeted towards global 
challenges.

Part 2 draws its basis from the 
interdependence of globalisation and 
technological change while discussing 
TA. It establishes a need for global 
awareness of the global character for the 
upcoming challenges of globalisation 
and responsibility for taking joint action 
on a global scale to overcome those 
challenges. The globalisation of science 
and technology affects people, and 
the need to address the relationship 
between public spheres and technology 



Indian Journal of Educational Technology
Volume 6, Issue 1, January 2024

378

has been established. Further, the 
relevance of TA in developing countries 
has been discussed taking examples 
from the developing country.

Part 3 discusses the major global 
challenges: climate change, 
biotechnology, artificial intelligence and 
the pandemic disease and the role of 
TA in dealing with them. It sheds light 
upon the applicability and effectiveness 
of models and frameworks of TA being 
applied in these fields of study.

The outlook, while summarising 
establishes the need for global TA to 
resolve the global challenges, promote 
international development and regulate 
technologies. Further case studies from 
countries have been presented towards 
the end.

The chapters emphasise the importance 
of interdisciplinary collaboration and 
collaboration among nations and 
international organisations. The 
authors have acknowledged the 
diverse perspectives and interests and 
brought out the need for inclusive and 
participatory approaches to Technology 
Assessment. This emphasis on 
collaboration aligns with contemporary 
calls for responsible and inclusive 
technology development.

The focus on real-world case studies 
and practical examples is a notable 
strength of the book. The authors 
have examined specific instances of 
transnational technology governance 
from different regions and industries 

and provided concrete insights into 
the opportunities and limitations of 
existing approaches. This empirical 
approach utilising real-world examples 
has added depth and relevance to the 
theoretical discussions, making the 
content relatable to a broad audience, 
including scholars, policymakers, and 
practitioners.

While the book presents a 
comprehensive overview of the 
challenges and solutions related to 
transnational technology governance, 
the fast pace of technological change 
may become one potential limitation. 
Considering the rapid evolution of 
technology, a few aspects of the book 
may become outdated comparatively 
early. However, this remains a common 
challenge in the field of technology 
assessment, and the book’s strength 
lies in its framework and principles for 
addressing transnational technology 
governance challenges.

Conclusively, the book “Technology 
Assessment in a Globalized World: 
Facing the Challenges of Transnational 
Technology Governance” is a good 
resource for scholars, practitioners and 
policymakers interested in technology 
and governance on a global scale. 
It gives an insightful exploration of 
the challenges presented by today’s 
globalised technology and a roadmap 
for addressing these challenges along 
with tapping the opportunities buried in 
them.